Founders Factory Africa Academy is seeking a dynamic and experienced Program Coach to join our team. This role is crucial in providing personalised support to aspiring entrepreneurs who join our 5-week Explore program, an entrepreneurship program where they learn how to refine their business ideas into tested investable business concepts. The consultant will guide aspiring entrepreneurs by evaluating project submissions, providing office hours for questions. Additionally, the consultant will engage with the community on WhatsApp and our LMS by facilitating conversations, virtual study groups, and AMAs (Ask Me Anything). They will share relevant content, provide constructive feedback, conduct qualitative research through 1-on-1 interactions, and regularly report on community engagement and participant progress to inform program improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Evaluating project submissions:

• Evaluate project based on real-world projects that participants undertake to ensure practical application of concepts they’ve learned
• Provide constructive feedback to participants to help them better develop their business ideas

Conducting office hours with program participants:

• Be available to participants during pre-defined periods to offer feedback and answer questions about the program content and project submissions, ensuring continuous support
• Leading in-person and online workshops with program participants:
• Conduct in-person and online workshops and group calls to help participants refine and improve their project work before submitting for grading

Conducting qualitative research:

• Collect feedback on participants’ experiences of the program through multiple interactions, including 1-on-1 conversations and observations
• Report findings and recommendations to the Program Implementation Manager to continuously improve the program based on participant feedback
• Prepare and deliver comprehensive summary reports on participant progress to the Program Implementation Manager.
• Identify and document best practices and lessons learned from community interactions to inform future program improvements
• Engage and lead community discussions and study groups:
• Initiate and facilitate community conversations centred on the topics being covered to foster a collaborative learning environment and encourage peer learning and support
• Initiate and facilitate community conversations, virtual study groups, and AMAs (Ask Me Anything) to foster a collaborative learning environment and encourage peer learning and support.
• Share relevant content, blogs, and resources on the community platform to provide ongoing support and information
• Encourage participants to share their progress and successes within the community to build a supportive and motivating environment

Scope of work breakdown
Pre-program Onboarding

• Description: Attend the onboarding meetings and activities. Understand the content and ensure you are clear with the coach’s expectations.
• Objective: Coaches’ feedback, readiness assessment, and clear understanding of the content.
• Expected Output: Coaches’ feedback, readiness assessment, and clear understanding of the content.

Frequency: One-off (2 days)

• Customer Research Plan Application
• Description: Review and evaluate participant submissions.
• Objective: Participant submission scores.
• Expected Output: Participant submission scores.
• Frequency: One-off (Full day engagement for 6 days)

In-person workshops

• Description: Engage with participants on the most problematic topics within the content and help participants with where they’re stuck in their assignments.
• Engage in-person with the allocated entrepreneurs while facilitating peer-engagement and learning.
• Objective: Pre-workshop: Prepare training material – facilitation guides.
• Post-workshop: Debrief Notes. Share a brief narrative as per the template/guide shared including the progress, challenges, and support/guidance offered in the session, and any additional support required from other service providers.
• Expected Output: Pre-workshop: Facilitation guides. Post-workshop: Debrief notes.
• Frequency: 3 in-person sessions (Full day engagement)

Assignment grading (online)

• Description: Review and evaluate participant submissions.
• Objective: Participant submission scores.
• Expected Output: Participant grades assigned on the LMS, Feedback emails sent to participants through Thinkific.
• Frequency: 7 days in the program (Full day engagement)

One-on-One sessions & Community support (online)

• Description: Coach and engage with participants 1:1 to answer any questions they have regarding the content and assignments, agree on next steps, and follow up on previously discussed action points.
• Objective: 1:1 coaching notes.
• Expected Output: 1:1 coaching notes.
• Frequency: 30 minutes per business (Mandatory for coaches and on need basis for participants)Post Program

Coaches Debrief Sessions

• Description: Engage with other service providers (coaches) to share business updates and requests or offer additional support for the businesses based on subject matter expertise facilitated by the Academy Implementation Lead.
• Objective: Provide the client and the other service providers with a brief progress update, including progress made, challenges faced, and support needed per business.
• Expected Output: Provide the client and the other service providers with a brief progress update, including progress made, challenges faced, and support needed per business.
• Frequency: Once a week (1 hour coach debrief session) for duration of the program

Retrospective session (In person)

• Description: Share feedback with the client to improve future cohorts.
• Objective: Share feedback based on insights with the client and proposed improvements where applicable.
• Expected Output: Share an overview of the allocated businesses progress to date as per the template shared.
• Frequency: Once, end of program

Post Program Survey

• Description: To gather valuable feedback on the effectiveness of the coaching sessions.
• Objective: Help identify strengths and areas for improvement in the coaching process, measure the impact of the coaching on the entrepreneurs’ progress, and ensure the program meets its goals of supporting and enhancing entrepreneurial success.
• Expected Output: Help identify strengths and areas for improvement in the coaching process, measure the impact of the coaching on the entrepreneurs’ progress, and ensure the program meets its goals of supporting and enhancing entrepreneurial success.
• Frequency: Once, end of program

Qualifications:

• At least 3 years of experience in market and customer research, prototyping, business modelling, end-to-end design of a new product/service, or a similar role supporting startups or SMEs.
• Actual entrepreneurial experience is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of human-centred design (i.e. building with the customer in mind) and lean startup principles (i.e. constantly testing assumptions with customers) that can be applied to entrepreneurship.
• Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent qualitative research.
• Verbal & written communication, interpersonal, and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong workshop facilitation skills are a plus.